Friday, December 30, 2011

They scoffed at me when I wrote about Safety for solo Laser sailing and suggested that carrying a praddle might not be a bad idea. But bonnie from frogma went Sunfish sailing in the chilly waters off Brooklyn today and what's that we see on her foredeck? A praddle!

11 comments:

Ugly job of stowing of course but I had a pretty big bag of other safety stuff taking up the cubby, couldn't get the praddle in there & just wedged it up under the halyard to get it out from underfoot.

I think I would tie it on with a thin lanyard if mounting it like this.

Perhaps it wasn't really a sneer. The person who wrote the comment did make an offer. "First person to post a picture of their fully equipped safe Laser, paddle and all, gets one free day of Laser charter on their next visit to the Laser Training Center in Cabarete. Value $90.00. It is to show our support to the safe-Laser movement."

I'm still thinking of taking him up on that offer as I did get one of my recommended pieces of safety equipment for Xmas - and I already have a praddle from my Sunfish sailing days.

If you think you will have long paddle some place, make one out of a piece of plywood. Two holes. one for your hand and one for the fingers. It will float and lie quietly in the bottom of the Laser cockpit. Maybe less quiet in Sunfish. I used one at my home in Key West when I had a little distance along mangroves (no wind) against the current to get out to the Ocean. That is my last contribution for 2011,

I can understand why some people would scoff at the idea of taking a paddle on a Laser, because it is quite possible to propel a Laser in no wind by standing in front of the mast and rocking the boat. All "real" Laser sailors can do this, although I confess with my chronic incompetence at all sports that involve balance while standing up, I'm not very good at it.

However, a praddle would have come in handy that day last year when I broke my mast. The stand-up method would have been of no use then, and a praddle would, at the very least, have saved me from having to "swim" the boat the final 100 yards.

I'm still open to suggestions as to the best way to mount a praddle on a Laser. I'm not fond of Sam's idea of just leaving it in the cockpit, because I hate stuff getting under my feet and I would only lose it in a capsize.

why am I looking back at this when I am trying to paint T shirts for the "last sail" this afternoon and get a last blog post done....tillerman, You are never going to be perfectly safe. Tie that dam thing to the mast and leave it on the foredeck, but then the big waves that you dive through will try to wash it off. Where will you put your anchor? and what about the life raft. I know you have your cell phone with you to call for help... Don't forget to hold onto the sheet.

Haha, my friend was once screaming at me, 'get a praddle, get a praddle!'. I thought he was just an idiot and couldn't say 'paddle'. Then..he sends me this on facebook, http://www.sailingproshop.com/Products/Praddle__EX-lbprd-1440.aspx ...turns out it exists.

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